7 Most Popular Travel Destinations To Visit This Summer
This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon and Rewardstyle affiliate, we may earn a small commission for any purchases made through these links. Click here for the disclosure statement.
As summer comes in swinging and our winter hibernation mode wears off, the desire to travel re-ignites within many of us. You find yourself browsing Kayak and Google flight trends, our thumbs pause over photos of palm trees and foreign architecture while scrolling Instagram, and the travel itch start to feel a little out of control.
Summer travel is the perfect opportunity to step back and enjoy life, and you may wonder where to start looking for the best and most popular travel destinations for this summer. While some classic travel destinations always top the charts, there is some variation from year to year. Where are people traveling for Summer 2023? Where are the best places to visit worldwide this June and July?
If you are seeking inspiration, look no further! Here are just a few of the best travel destinations to have on your radar this summer. This list considers affordability, entertainment options, nightlife, cultural value, accessibility, lodging, and weather. They are surfacing as the globe’s #1 travel destinations for undeniable reasons!
Pack your suitcase and catch a flight to one of these epic world class summer travel destinations!
Traveling Internationally Over the Summer
If you are considering traveling abroad soon, you should know a few things about international travel, specifically in the summertime:
Summer is the peak travel season for most destinations, creating some pros and cons to this vacation time. Peak travel often entails more crowds, longer lines, sold out tickets, and higher transportation and lodging costs. Airports and hotels are more full, and you have more neighbors to share your square footage of beach space with.
Check out our guide on staying in an Airbnb versus a hotel.
The positive side is that travel destinations are also in full swing, open to tourism, and welcome to your visit. During the off-season for many travel destinations, the local shops shut down as the lower influx of tourists can no longer support them financially. For that reason, summer travel promises unrestrained tourist opportunities!
However, summer is also oftentimes the most expensive time of year to travel. How to remedy this? Book ahead of time, stay flexible, travel in a group to spread out costs, or sacrifice comfort for the sake of experience.
Read our top tips on how to travel on a budget.
If possible, any tickets and activities should be booked ahead of time. If you wait until you arrive at one of these popular destinations, you face not only steeper prices, but the risk of all tickets and options being sold out already. If you are dead set on a certain site, activity, or experience, then make sure you book as far in advance as you are able to!
Top Destinations to Travel to in Summer 2023
London, U.K.
London crowns the list of international travel destinations for Summer 2023 and never has been far from the top spot in attracting foreign visitors. TripAdvisor named London as Europe’s #1 travel destination in 2023, and no surprise there! This culturally—and historically—rich city has a past and culture that rivals the most popular cities in the world.
The extensive catalog of London’s historical sites and attractions is one of the biggest draws for travelers. London’s economy relies substantially on tourism, and the city’s officials have recently been putting great effort into rebuilding the tourism industry after the enormous drop in 2020.
London is a treasure trove of culture, culinary experience, history, art, music, and theater. Travelers have a world of choices at their disposal, because musicals, murals, markets, museums, street vendors and entertainers flood the city limits. The reputations of famous sites, such as Big Ben, London Eye, the Globe Theatre, and the Tower of London go without saying.
Why visit London during the summer? Summer travel in London offers many perks to you as a tourist. Nightlife and entertainment will be in full swing, with a ton of events, celebrations, and holidays to keep the festivities rolling and to keep you busy as a visitor. Also, London is known for its bleak gray skies and damp climate, but summer months in London promise the best warm weather of the year.
Cancun, Mexico
If you haven’t already been to Cancun, you have certainly heard of it. Cancun is a desirable beach city that ranks annually without fail as one of the most popular tourist destinations worldwide.
This glamorous destination makes for a perfect summer vacation because it offers it all: world-renowned dining and nightlife, resort experience, marine adventures, nearby Mayan ruins, shopping, and beautiful nature. For U.S.-based travelers, Cancun offers year-round flight affordability and accessibility. There is no lack of things to do, try, eat, and see there. Forbes describes Cancun as a “well-oiled machine” in the tourism industry, which can’t be denied.
Cancun arguably has no off-season, but its most popular months are December through April, tapering off with the spring break crowds. If you visit Cancun for a summer vacation, you can beat most of the crowds and also get better priced deals than if you go during the busiest months of the year. Summer months are hot, at high-80 temps, but hey, isn’t that what summer at the beach is all about?
Paris, France
The City of Light is eternally named as one of the best places to travel to, and this year is no different. On average, it hails 30 million foreign visitors a year, providing a travel experience that is both unique and spectacular. Paris is known as one of the most romantic cities of the world, with endless opportunities for travelers to enjoy French culture.
Paris offers a wonderful, nearly-overwhelming itinerary to travelers and is home to a plethora of famous landmarks and attractions, such as Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower. Besides the big draws, nothing can surpass Paris’ chic charm, romantic side streets, and exquisite historical and cultural value. Art, fashion, music, shopping, dining, entertainment options such as the Moulin Rouge… all of these mouth-watering opportunities are yours in Paris.
See our ultimate guide to visiting Paris for the first time.
In the summertime, Paris as a vacation destination is ideal and bustling. There are festivals and events all summer long, and tourism is in full flex. You can even go to the beach at Paris-Plage. All the shops will be open in the heart of the city, and since Paris is best seen by foot, the warm summertime temperatures promise visitors pleasant outdoor strolls.
Orlando, Florida
Florida has proudly remained one of the best places to travel worldwide, especially during summer months, and its tourist center of Orlando has claimed the throne of being the largest travel and tourism city in America. The massive Orlando airport welcomed 7 million international visitors in 2022, with tourism in constant flow throughout the city.
What makes Orlando an ideal summer vacation spot? The balmy weather and endless opportunities for fun make it a glamorous tropical hub. Orlando is home to world-famous theme parks that people travel from all over the world to visit, such as SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Harry Potter World, and Disney World. Orlando also offers travelers wonderful shopping, golfing, dining, nightlife, nonstop events, and close proximity to the ocean and beach space. There is always something going on in Orlando.
Rome, Italy
Rome, named the Eternal City, has been one of most revered travel destinations in the world for nearly 2000 years. How many other travel destinations can boast of that? With centuries of transformational culture and architecture literally stacked layer upon layer to build Rome, nothing short of a nuclear bomb could dislodge this beautiful and awe-striking city as a top worldwide travel destination.
From the Colosseum to the pizzerias to the Vatican to the Trevi Fountain, Rome is a non-negotiable, must-visit destination for anyone interested in travel and culture. The list of attractions and sites to see and experience in Rome can truly (and does) fill books upon books.
Rome as a summer travel destination is busy, chaotic, and simply superb. Wandering the city’s crazy streets are as life-threatening as they are life-changing. The weather is warm and welcoming, hot during the day, but makes for pleasant summer nights. American travelers make up a huge percentage of tourists in Rome, and more broadly, in Italy. Everything is open during the peak summer season, so you will have no limitations to your travel experience there during this time of year!
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is known as a Central American paradise, boasting fantastic landscape, natural beauty, vibrant local culture, and excellent cuisine.
While summertime in Costa Rica is known as the “rainy season” and is avoided by some travelers for this reason, there are a ton of benefits to visiting Costa Rica at this time of year. Summer will be the most affordable season for you to visit this incredible destination, and there will be fewer crowds.
It is one of the best places to travel to in July and August, simply because the forests explode into a lush green after a long rainy season. Imagine the dense, tropical beauty of jungle and waterfall hikes, where temperatures are ideal. Afternoon rain showers are common, but limited to a certain period of the day, and provide the unbelievable lush colors around you.
Whale watching season officially begins, and July also offers tourists the opportunity to take part in the Virgin of the Sea Fiesta.
Turks and Caicos
Heralded as a stellar Caribbean destination, Turks and Caicos rose as one of the world’s most recent popular travel destinations, when a more supportable tourism infrastructure was introduced in the 1980s. Now, the island is known for its stunning white sand beaches, glamorous resorts, enticing waters, and aquatic activities. If you are looking for a world class beach for your summer vacation, then Turks and Caicos will fulfill all your hopes and dreams. Grace Bay Beach is often referred to as the “world’s best beach.”
Snorkeling, fishing, boating, diving, and beach-hopping all compete with the finest in the world in this archipelago. Turks and Caicos is also home to the third largest coral system and one of the best barrier reefs in the world.
Why go to Turks and Caicos during the summer? The summer weather is in the 80s, making for perfect beach weather day after day. The ocean is calmer this time of year, making all of the marine activities accessible to you. If you are looking for fewer crowds during your summer vacation, tourism on the islands decreases by August and September. More beach space for you! If seafood is a weakness of yours, August also marks the onset of lobster season.